Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Nobody's picking a church fight
The Washington Times ^ | 7-13-07 | Wes Pruden

Posted on 07/13/2007 11:13:07 AM PDT by JZelle

Nothing stirs the blood like talking about religion. That's why it's taboo to talk about it in casual social conversations. Better to ask the boss's wife whether she ever considered a face-lift.

But Pope Benedict XVI is a man of firm conviction and blunt talk. Not for this pontiff the Vatican II tradition of warm and fuzzy, as the message of Vatican II, which put a friendly expression on the stern countenance of the church of Rome, has been widely interpreted in the circles of those addicted to warm and fuzzy. This week he authorized a statement of "clarification" of Vatican II, and to the consternation of some Roman Catholics here, the secular press interpreted the message to Protestants as no more Mr. Nice Guy.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: catholic; church; protestant; pruden; vatican; wespruden
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 221 next last
To: colorado tanker
I'm reminded of the Catholic attitude toward us Prods every time I attend a Catholic service and am denied communion, but he didn't need to rub our noses in it.

But do you understand the Catholic position on receiving Holy Eucharist?

Do you believe that the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ? If not, how can you say "Amen" when it is pronounced as such?

Are you in communion with the Catholic church? Then how can you participate in an expression of unity, when unity does not exist? That's why it's often recommended that non-Catholics at Mass pray for Christian unity during communion.

Why is it so hard to respect the beliefs of Catholics and the Church? It's not just an "attitude" -- the sacrifice of the Mass is serious and holy.

21 posted on 07/13/2007 11:35:50 AM PDT by JohnnyZ (Romney : "not really trying to define what is technically amnesty. I'll let the lawyers decide.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: gemma0000
There is a great quote by Peter Singer. He once said, "Sometimes I think that me and the Pope are the only ones that really understand what is going on."

I think that applies here. Secularism is dying but not yet dead. Catholics and Protestants can still go to the March for Life together or watch Europe curl up and die. But the false ecumenicism is damaging to both sides. It leads to univeralism. Either Protestants are going to hell, or Catholics have committed the sin of legalism.

22 posted on 07/13/2007 11:37:42 AM PDT by Jibaholic (http://www.gentlerespect.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: colorado tanker
I'm reminded of the Catholic attitude toward us Prods every time I attend a Catholic service and am denied communion

If you do not believe that the sacrament is what the Church says it is, why would you partake in it?

all my Catholic friends are quite welcome to take communion with me at my church

What a lovely invitation to apostasy.

23 posted on 07/13/2007 11:39:41 AM PDT by wideawake (Paul, Tancredo, Conyers: Cowards of a feather abstain from voting together.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Jibaholic

Who said I was bound by Catholic Doctrine?

Sola Scriptura for me thanks, I do enjoy the Cahtolic Church, but on a domgamtic level I have disagreements with them. I do have enough love that it doesn’t bother me, it does however, bother them.


24 posted on 07/13/2007 11:39:57 AM PDT by padre35 (Conservative in Exile.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: JZelle

The pope?

Yawn.


25 posted on 07/13/2007 11:40:13 AM PDT by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus (Fred Dalton Thompson for President)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: padre35
Whups, sorry then.

"For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." Hosea 6:6

26 posted on 07/13/2007 11:42:45 AM PDT by Jibaholic (http://www.gentlerespect.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: gemma0000

“Why is it a “poor route”? Should Benedict continue the apostate ‘protestantization’ of the Catholic Church to appease them back into the fold? Is mediating and negotiating the Truth the way of Christ? This false ecumenism has been a ridiculous and disastrous position by the Church. Since Vatican II the Church has been devastated by shocking changes, a horrendous drop off in attendance, scandal after scandal. Church doors continue to be closed from coast to coast. The Church in Europe is almost non-existant, and the Church in America is not much better off. “By their fruits you will know them”; and the ‘fruits’ of Vat II and false ecumenism are rotting the Church to her foundation. The Truth needs to kiss nobody’s feet to bring them to the Light, and Benedict knows this. The Church doors are not only open to Protestants who wish to convert, the Church pleads with them to do so. If they don’t want the Truth, if they reject the Church founded by Jesus Christ on Peter, that’s their problem, not ours.

Just as in John 6:66, when many of Jesus’ followers were scandalized by his doctrine of literally eating and drinking of his flesh, and left Him, so go the Protestants. In my opinion, Pope Benedict is trying to bring them back by telling them the hard, cold facts.”

And the Orthodox church can make the same claim. As for me and my house, we will follow the Lord.


27 posted on 07/13/2007 11:43:30 AM PDT by padre35 (Conservative in Exile.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: padre35
I just reread the story (for the 4th time) and it was said

Which is to say, you read the reporter's interpretation of what the Pope said.

It just seems a shame to start such a dialog, res ipsa loquitur....

Res ipsa loquitur: "The thing itself speaks." However, the the doing the speaking in this case is the author of the story, not the Pope's encyclical. There's a big difference between the two.

28 posted on 07/13/2007 11:45:30 AM PDT by r9etb
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: Jibaholic

“I think that applies here. Secularism is dying but not yet dead. Catholics and Protestants can still go to the March for Life together or watch Europe curl up and die. But the false ecumenicism is damaging to both sides. It leads to univeralism. Either Protestants are going to hell, or Catholics have committed the sin of legalism.”

To open the doors to hostility such as this thread is producing seems counter productive. What will inevitably happen is counter charges will be made, and then responded to, then returned in return, and that is folly.


29 posted on 07/13/2007 11:46:05 AM PDT by padre35 (Conservative in Exile.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: padre35
Granted, that will make people “choose a side” and know where they stand one way or another

And that's a good thing. Too many protestants don't bother to think deeply about doctrine.

30 posted on 07/13/2007 11:48:06 AM PDT by PAR35
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: JZelle

I don’t know why anybody is up in arms about what the Pope said. Obviously, he doesn’t think other churches are doing things right or he wouldn’t be Catholic. I disagree with him, but I don’t see why I’d be offended at him stating what he or his church believe.

This reminds me of some Jews that were all outraged that Mormons were doing ‘proxy baptisms’ of Jews killed in the Holocaust. Like, what do you care?


31 posted on 07/13/2007 11:49:25 AM PDT by Sloth (The GOP is to DemonRats in politics as Michael Jackson is to Jeffrey Dahmer in babysitting.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gemma0000
Just as in John 6:66, when many of Jesus' followers were scandalized by his doctrine of literally eating and drinking of his flesh, and left Him, so go the Protestants. In my opinion, Pope Benedict is trying to bring them back by telling them the hard, cold facts.

A closer look at this passage not only shows us that some of Jesus' followers were scandalised by the idea that He was literally telling them to eat His flesh and drink His blood, but it ALSO tells us that those who understood His Words that way were misunderstanding what He said.

"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63)

Jesus clearly states that His words were to be taken in a spiritual sense, not in a literal and fleshly sense.

32 posted on 07/13/2007 11:50:31 AM PDT by Titus Quinctius Cincinnatus (Fred Dalton Thompson for President)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: r9etb

“Res ipsa loquitur: “The thing itself speaks.” However, the the doing the speaking in this case is the author of the story, not the Pope’s encyclical. There’s a big difference between the two.”

There are two issues in there:

1. Did Benedict say that?
2. Is the article more or less accurate?

1. The statement was released from the “Council on the Doctrine of the Faith” Cardinal Ratzinger’s fmr position in the Catholic Church. So it would seem to be reliable to assume that “yes” he either said it, or approved of it.

2. The same story has appeared in several different media outlets, and the core of what he said has never been disputed. Granted, the original has not been posted AFAIK.

I would be more then pleased to see that the core of what the media has reported is incorrect, the Washington Times article did seem to quote the release verbatim however.


33 posted on 07/13/2007 11:51:24 AM PDT by padre35 (Conservative in Exile.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: JZelle
Seems to me the Pope said "Catholics are not Protestants, and Protestants are not Catholics". Yeah, pretty controversial stuff there.

Of course, there are those of every ideological persuasion who spend their entire day looking to be insulted or outraged. They apparently enjoy milking this little nugget for all it's worth.

34 posted on 07/13/2007 11:51:31 AM PDT by Jokelahoma (Animal testing is a bad idea. They get all nervous and give wrong answers.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jibaholic
"Protestant" is what Roman Catholics call other christians that are not Roman Catholic.. Most "Protestants" are protesting nothing and repeat the term in error.. Protestant is curse word.. The word christian was originally a curse word, believers in the beginning never called themselves christians..

Its like "conservative" is what "progressives" call non socialists.. cause "conservative" makes "progressive" sound forward looking and creatively beneficial.. When "Progressives" are leftist retrograde political malafactors ALWAYS.. Capitalism builds wealth for everyone, socialism USES that wealth UP..

35 posted on 07/13/2007 11:51:49 AM PDT by hosepipe (CAUTION: This propaganda is laced with hyperbole....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: padre35
Five Huge differences

Let us not forget the second commandment "You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I The Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love Me and keep My Commandments."

That includes not worshiping or praying to Mary!

36 posted on 07/13/2007 11:52:56 AM PDT by DaveyB (Ignorance is part of the human condition - atheism makes it permanent!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: colorado tanker
BTW, all my Catholic friends are quite welcome to take communion with me at my church.

Not at my church. I don't take communion at their church, because I don't share their beliefs about the elements, and they shouldn't share in the Lord's Supper at my church for the same reasons.

Have you really been refused communion at a Catholic church? Most of the ones I've been in, the servers have allowed anyone in the line to partake.

37 posted on 07/13/2007 11:52:56 AM PDT by PAR35
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: JohnnyZ
Why is it so hard to respect the beliefs of Catholics and the Church?

Didn't say that. I have great respect for Catholic beliefs and I've have a kid in Catholic School. It's just that when I hear stuff like Benedict's recent statement it seems I have a lot more respect for Catholic beliefs than the Catholic Church has for mine.

38 posted on 07/13/2007 11:54:45 AM PDT by colorado tanker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: JZelle
Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Meanwhile, the one true church stays below the fray.

39 posted on 07/13/2007 11:55:03 AM PDT by Popocatapetl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JZelle

All I know is when I wash with my Pope on a rope soap, I feel cleaner...


40 posted on 07/13/2007 11:55:19 AM PDT by trailboss800
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 221 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson